Indexing pill dispenser

ABSTRACT

A rotary manually operated pill dispenser is disclosed, for holding and dispensing a collection of pills from several separate compartments. A cover has an integral dispensing porthole which overlies each compartment in turn. Six tapered tabs strategically placed on a ledge of the cover to match the same configuration of open-notches on a shelf of the base serve as an indexing apparatus, whereby the user can readily align the cover, and porthole, correctly. The dispenser has an integrated conical plastic spring washer, fitted in a central chamber in the base, which biases the cover and base apart, and keeps the ledge in engagement with the shelf. The bottom of the base is constructed with the same configuration of tabs as the lid, and a pills reservoir, or other accessory component, can be locked onto, and removed from, to the dispenser. The base and cover can be injection-moulded in a suitable transparent plastic material.

This invention relates to a the technology disclosed in patentpublication CA-2,430,936 (December 2004, Allen). The rotary manuallyoperated pill dispenser there disclosed performs holding, transportingand pill-dispensing functions, and possesses numerous benefits andadvantages over known rotary manually operated pill dispensers.

The present invention aims to simplify some features, which diminishessome assembly labour requirements associated with cost, to be more userfriendly, especially to users with limited fine motor ability, andamputees, in that one can actually reload and dispense the pills by theuse of one hand only. The present invention aims to provide a novelrotary manually operated pill dispenser, which successfully integratessimple components. The new dispenser is aimed at being simple toactivate, using only one hand. Preferred features include a reservoirthat allows a several-week supply of pills to be stored, and stacked inadvance, and safety features which make inadvertent operation unlikely.

It is known in prior art to provide a rotary manually operated pilldispensers with trays, locks, cylindrical canister, carousel mounted ona rotary table. Some prior examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,929(Marlar, 1992), U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,343 (Papp, 2001), which dispensesthrough an open tablet tray. U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,158 (Chabout, 2000).Automatic with a hopper. U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,525 (Mclaughlin 1994), U.S.Pat. No. 6,234,346 (Castleberry 1976) snack trays resembling weddingcake. U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,952 (Grimes 1976) automated capsule dispenserwith receiving tray, U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,420 (Krawll 1998), U.S. Pat.No. 4,572,376 (Wrennall 1986), a pair of lids that rotatesindependently, US-2004/0,256,406.

In the prior art, designers have included a reminding device, a safetravelling device, a skipped or double does prevention device, and soon. Unfortunately each dispenser has some deficiency, for example: toolarge in size, to expensive in price, requiring of too high a level ofskills and coordination to access. The task to access these dispensersmay also be difficult for amputees, and other users with arthriticconditions, or with limited fine motor ability.

The designs as depicted herein are aimed at including the beneficialaspects of the prior art designs in a new design that is less expensive,easier and less confusing to access, and does not compromise its safetyfeatures.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a lid or cover of a pill dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the underside of a base component of thedispenser;

FIG. 3 is a view of the topside of the base, showing its multiplecompartments;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of pill supply reservoir of the dispenser;

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of a conical spring component of thedispenser;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial partly exploded view of some of the components ofthe dispenser;

FIG. 7 a is a diagrammatic plan view showing the cover of a dispenserassembled to the base;

FIG. 7 b is the same view as FIG. 7 a, but with the cover relativelyrotated;

FIG. 7 c is the same view as FIG. 7 a, but with the cover rotatedfurther;

FIG. 8 a is a diagrammatic side view, showing some of the cylindricalparts of the cover and base as if unrolled;

FIG. 8 b is the same view as FIG. 8 a, but with the cover relativelyrotated;

FIG. 8 c is the same view as FIG. 8 a, but with the cover rotatedfurther;

FIG. 9 is a sectioned side elevation of the dispenser;

FIG. 10 is the same view as FIG. 9 of another dispenser;

FIG. 1 (which appears with FIG. 5) is an exploded view of the dispenserof FIG. 9.

The patent protection sought herein is defined by the scope of theaccompanying claims, and not necessarily by the features of depictedembodiments.

The dispenser 30 includes a cover 32, which is formed with apill-dispensing porthole 34, and also with an associated primaryindexing tab A. An arrow 36 on the cover 32 identifies the primary tabA. A base 38 of the dispenser 30 is formed with twenty-eightpill-containing compartments 40. To dispense pills, the user aligns thearrow 36 with the particular day and time of the dose. This results inthe dispensing porthole 34 being aligned with the compartment for thatday and time. To dispense the pills, the user tips the dispenser 30upside-down, whereupon the pills fall out of the aligned compartment.

In the example shown, the designer has provided twenty-eightcompartments, corresponding to four pill doses per day, for a week. (Thedesigner may alternatively provide other configurations. The minimumnumber of compartments, for the invention to be applicable, would beseven.) The day and time of each dose is labelled on the outside of therespective compartments, and the same information is provided inbraille. To replenish the compartments 40, the cover 32 is removed fromthe base 38, whereupon the compartments 40 now all lie exposed, andfurther pills can be added by the user or caregiver. The base may bemoulded in a transparent plastic material, for extra visibility. Thecover too.

FIG. 7 a is a plan view of (part of) the base 38 and cover 32 of anotherpill dispenser. The base 38 is formed with a series of sockets, whichare defined by projections 43 on a shelf 45 of the base. In this case,there are twenty-nine sockets, pitched in a circle centred on the axisof rotation 50 of the cover 32. The twenty-nine sockets correspond toorientations of the cover 32, in which the porthole 34 in the coveroverlies respective ones of the twenty-eight compartments 40 in the base38, plus one remove-cover orientation, at which the cover can be removedfrom the base.

Some of the sockets between the projections 43, termed open-sockets, arewider than the other sockets. The six sockets at numbered locations 1,7, 12, 19, 22, 28 are the open-sockets. The sockets in the remainingnumbered locations are termed the tight-sockets. FIG. 7 a shows thecover 32 in its remove-cover orientation, and it can be seen that thedesigner has arranged for the six tabs A, B, C, D, E, F on the ledge 47of the cover 32 to be aligned with the six open-sockets, at thisorientation of the cover. Thus, in the remove-cover orientation of thecover, the ledge 47 of the cover is now not constrained underneath theshelf 45 of the base, and the cover can be lifted off.

FIG. 7 b shows the cover 32 having been rotated anticlockwise onetwenty-ninth of a complete revolution. Now, the tab A overlies thetight-socket at location 29. It will be noted that, in this orientation,all six of the tabs overly respective tight-sockets, i.e none of thetabs now overlies one of the open-sockets. The tight-sockets arecircumferentially narrower than the circumferential width of the tabs,whereby the tabs cannot pass through the tight-sockets, and the cover 32cannot be removed from the base 38.

It will be understood that, with the cover 32 shown in the orientationof FIG. 7 b, the cover is very firmly held in place on the base 38. Allsix of the tabs are constrained by the tight-sockets, whereby the ledge47 of the cover engages the shelf 45 of the base, and the cover isfirmly held onto the base.

FIG. 7 c shows the cover 32 having been rotated further. Now, the tag Aoverlies the open-socket at location 22. Also, the tag B on the coveralso overlies one of the open-sockets, being the one at location 28.These tabs A, B, in the FIG. 7 c orientation of the cover, thereforecannot contribute anything to the security with which the cover isguided and carried for rotation with respect to the base. In FIG. 7 c,all the guiding constraint for the cover must therefore come from theother four tabs C, D, E, F, which do overlie respective tight-sockets,as shown.

A polygon (being a quadrilateral 49 in this case) has been drawn, byjoining up the tabs that overlie tight-sockets. Attention is drawn tothe fact that the axis 50 about which the cover rotates is locatedinside the perimeter of this polygon. The axis being inside the polygon,the four tabs C, D, E, F that provide constraint for the cover are wellspaced around the circumference of the ledge and shelf, providing goodguiding stability.

Note that if there were to be an orientation of the cover in which theaxis 50 lay outside the perimeter of the polygon, that would mean thatall the tabs contributing to the provision of guiding constraint for thecover would then all be on one side of the ledge and shelf. If such aconfiguration were allowed, therefore, the cover would be liable totipping, relative to the base. Even if the cover did not fall off, itmight easily happen that the cover would be liable to jamming or othermisalignment problems.

The designer should therefore see to it that, in every one of thepossible orientations of the cover (other than the remove-coverorientation, of course), as many as possible, and never fewer thanthree, of the tabs overlie tight-sockets. The designer should also makesure to choose a configuration of tabs and sockets in which, in everyone of the possible orientations of the cover that corresponds to theporthole overlying one of the compartments, that the configurationshould be such that a triangle joining those three includes the axis 50within its perimeter.

The configuration shown in FIGS. 7 a-7 c is not the only one of whichthis condition is true, even for dispensers having twenty-eightcompartments. The prudent designer will lay out a proposed configurationof tabs and sockets before committing to a final design of thedispenser, and will check (e.g by trial and error) that, of all thepossible orientations of the cover in which the porthole overlies one ofthe compartments , there is none in which fewer than three tabs overlietight-sockets. Theoretically, the functional requirements of the tabsand sockets configuration might be met with as few as three tabs (andthe number of open-sockets must be at least equal to the number oftabs). The larger the number of tabs (and open-sockets), the easier itwill be for the designer to hit upon a configuration in which thefunctional requirements are met in respect of all possible orientations.Of course, the functional requirements of the configuration would not bemet at all, if only two tabs (or only one tag) were provided—in that,then, no polygon at all could be drawn.

Each tight-socket designed between the projections 43 is so shaped as toblock a tag positioned over that socket from passing through the socket.However, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 a-8 c, the tab and the tight-socketare so shaped with respect to each other that the tight-socket doesprovide a measure of rotational restraint against the respective tab. Achamfer is provided on one (or both) of the tab and tight-socket,whereby, when the tab is biased in the direction axially towards thetight-socket, the tag is urged circumferentially rotationally towards acentral position within the tight-socket. Thus, the design of the tabsand tight-sockets serves as an indexing apparatus.

The cover is biased away from the compartments in the base, by a spring52. Thus the ledge 47 (of which the tabs are a part) and the shelf 45(of which the sockets are a part) are urged together, by the spring 52.Consequently, the spring 52 provides the biasing force which urges thetabs into contact with the tight-sockets. Thus, if the person using thepill dispenser does not touch the cover, the cover remains indexed intothe particular orientation dictated by the particular tabs andtight-sockets that are in alignment.

To over-ride that indexed position, the user manually rotates the cover.This causes the tab to ride up on the chamfer, whereby the cover movesaxially away from the base at the same time as it rotates relative tothe base. Thus, the tab on the ledge 47 of the cover 32 lifts itselfover the projection 43 and disengages itself from the tight-socket onthe shelf 45 of the base 38. The tab now rests on top of one of theprojections 43 that define the sockets. (Other tabs rest on others ofthe projections, as shown in FIG. 8 b.) As shown in FIG. 8 c, (and inFIG. 7 c), one (or more) of the tabs would not engage with one of thetight-sockets if that tag is positioned over one of the open-sockets.Only one tab needs to engage with one tight socket in order to performthe indexing function; however, as mentioned, the designer will see toit that at least three of the tabs do engage with correspondingtight-sockets, for the other reasons as described.

The user can also disengage the tabs from the sockets, enabling thecover to be rotated, by pressing the cover towards the base, against thespring.

The spring 52 is fitted within a hollow chamber 56 lying inside theannular portion of the base 38 in which the compartments 40 are formed.The spring rests against a shoulder 58 of the base, and may be held inposition with bumps moulded into the shoulder area. As shown in FIG. 5,the spring 52 is a conical disc spring. The spring is made of a flexibleplastic material. The spring includes a central hole 60, and is formedwith radial slits that define spokes 63 that provide the desired levelof force urging the cover away from the body, and urging the tabs formedon the ledge into contact with the sockets formed on the shelf.

FIG. 4 shows an optional component of the dispenser. This comprises areservoir 65, in which stocks of pills can be stored. The projections 43are duplicated on the corresponding shelf 45 of the reservoir 65. Thus,provided the tabs A, B, C, D, E, F of the cover 32 have also beenduplicated on a duplicate ledge formed underneath the base 38 (as theyhave been in FIG. 3), the reservoir can, by hand manipulation, beattached to, and removed from, the undersurface of the base 38, just asthe cover 32 can, by hand manipulation, be attached to and removed fromthe upper surface of the base. It will be understood that the cover 32can be assembled to the reservoir 65, as it can to the base 38.

FIG. 10 shows that the ledge and shelf arrangement of the cover and basehave been reversed. The FIG. 9 version is preferred, in that in FIG. 9 arim of the cover lies outside the base, making the cover easier to graspand manipulate.

Housed also in the chamber 56 is a timer and annunciator module 70. Thisis an electronic device, powered by a contained battery. The module 70includes two manual control/setting knobs 72, which protrude through thehole 60 in the spring 52, and in the cover 32. This arrangement is veryconvenient as far as operability is concerned; also, the module istucked securely away in a place where space is available, which wouldotherwise be wasted.

The operation and function of the timer/annunciator module are set outin the following tables.

Block diagram showing generally the nature of the input and outputcontrol signals to and from the Timer and Annunciator Control Systemwith the embodiment.Allen's Indexing Dispenser

Description of Actions Function Action Outcome Turn Unit User ActivatesTurn ON Unit ON simultaneously inputs Flash Visual Annunciator A & B(3-5 s) 1 × 1 s Sound Aural Annunciator 1 × 1 s Turn Unit User ActivatesTurn OFF Unit OFF simultaneously inputs Flash Visual Annunciator A & B(305 s) 2 × 0.5 s Sound Aural Annunciator 2 × 0.5 s Set Daily Useractivates A to Flash Visual Annunciator Dispensing set medication 1 ×0.25 s Frequency frequency e.g. Sound Aural Annunciator Activate 3× for1 × 0.25 s frequency of 3×/day (sets interval of 8 hours) Set NumberUser Activates B for Flash Visual Annunciator of Days in Total number of0.5 s/day Dispensing dispensing days (up to Sound Aural AnnunciatorCycle 31). Hold for required 0.5 s/day number of days Start UserActivates Flash Visual Annunciator Timing simultaneously inputs (DailyDispensing Cycle A & B (1-2 s) Frequency) × 0.25 s Sound AuralAnnunciator (Daily Dispensing Frequency) × 0.25 s Announce SystemAutomatic Flash Visual Annunciator at end of each Activation of 0.2 sintervals for 30 s, Medication Annunciators repeat every minute for 10Interval minutes Sound Aural Annunciator at 0.25 s intervals for 30 s,repeat every minute for 10 minutes Automatic Annunciator cancellationafter 10 minutes Cancellation User activates Silence Visual and Aural ofEnd simultaneously inputs Annunciators to Medication A & B 90.5 s)acknowledge medication has Interval been dispensed Annunciation AnnounceSystem Automatic Flash Visual Annunciator Completion shutdown at 1 sintervals for 5 s of Sound Aural Annunciator at Dispensing 1 s intervalsfor 5 s Cycle Automatic System shutdown

1. Pill dispenser, which includes a base and a cover, wherein; the coveris mounted and guided for rotation with respect to the base, about arotary axis; the base is formed with a number C of compartments, whichare suitable for containing pills; the compartments comprise respectivesectors of an annulus of the base, the annulus being coaxial with therotary axis; the cover is formed with one porthole; the compartments andthe porthole are so arranged that, when the cover is rotated, theporthole sequentially overlies each one of the compartments in turn; theporthole is so dimensioned that a pill residing within the onecompartment can be removed, through the porthole, from the onecompartment, while the remainder of the compartments are simultaneouslycovered; one of either the base or the cover is termed a tabs-component,and the other is termed a sockets-component; the tabs-component includesa ledge on which are formed N tabs, which lie pitched at respectivelocations around a tabs pitch-circle; the sockets-component includes ashelf on which are formed N open-sockets, which lie pitched atrespective locations around a sockets pitch-circle; both pitch-circleslie centred on the rotary axis of the cover; the locations of the tabson the ledge, and the locations of the open-sockets on the shelf, are soarranged that there exists a remove-cover orientation of the cover withrespect to the base, in which all N tabs axially overlie respectivelythe N open-sockets; the tabs on the ledge and the open-sockets on theshelf are so arranged that: when the cover is in the remove-coverorientation, the tabs lie aligned with the open-sockets, and can pass inan axial direction through the open-sockets, thereby enabling the coverto be removed from the base; and that when the cover is in anorientation other than the remove-cover orientation, the tabs lie out ofalignment with the open-sockets, and lie blocked from passing throughthe open-sockets, thereby preventing the cover from being removed fromthe base; and the number N is at least three.
 2. As in claim 1, wherein:the tabs and open-sockets are so arranged that: when the cover is in anyrotational orientation, other than the remove-cover orientation, no morethan N−3 of the tabs lie aligned with any of the open-sockets, in thatat least three of the N tabs, termed the non-aligned tabs, lie out ofalignment with each and every one of the open-sockets; and that chordsjoining the said non-aligned tabs form a polygon of which thenon-aligned tabs comprise the vertexes thereof; and that the polygonincludes the rotary axis inside its perimeter.
 3. As in claim 2, whereinthe porthole is sized to uncover only the one of the C compartments thatthe porthole overlies, the cover being so arranged as to prevent anypill from being removed from any of the remaining compartments.
 4. As inclaim 1, including an indexing-apparatus of such structure that, uponthe cover undergoing a rotational movement relative to the base, andupon the cover being orientated to respective positions in which theporthole overlies each one of the individual compartments in turn, inrespect of each one of those respective locked positions, theindexing-apparatus holds the cover locked against rotation away fromthat locked position.
 5. As in claim 4, wherein the locked position ofthe indexing-apparatus can be over-ridden and released by manuallyrotating the cover.
 6. As in claim 4, wherein the indexing-apparatusincludes a number T of tight-sockets, the number T being such that, whenthe cover is orientated to the respective positions in which theporthole overlies each one of the individual compartments in turn, inrespect of each one of those positions, one of the tabs engages one ofthe tight-sockets.
 7. As in claim 6, wherein the number T is such that,in respect of each individual compartment, three of the tabs engagethree of the tight-sockets.
 8. As in claim 1, wherein the open-socketsand the tight-sockets lie circumferentially intercalated, on the socketspitch-circle.
 9. As in claim 1, wherein: the cover is mounted and guidedfor movement also in an axial sense relative to the base; the dispenserincludes a biasing spring, and the arrangement of the dispenser is suchthat: the biasing spring urges the shelf and the ledge together, in anaxial direction; and the biasing spring urges the shelf and ledgetogether in such manner that, when the cover is in the remove-coverorientation, the biasing spring urges the cover in the axial sense toseparate the cover from the base.
 10. As in claim 9, wherein: inside theannulus, the base is formed with a hollow cylindrical chamber; and thebiasing spring is housed inside the chamber; the spring pushes against awall of the chamber, and pushes against the cover.
 11. As in claim 10,wherein the biassing spring is a conical disc spring.
 12. As in claim11, wherein the conical disc spring is formed with a star-shaped centralaperture.
 13. As in claim 10, including: a timer; an operableannunciator, which is effective, when operated, to announce a warningsignal, and to do so at a time that is predetermined by the timer; thetimer and the annunciator are contained in a module; and the module liesplaced inside the said hollow chamber in the base of the dispenser. 14.As in claim 13, wherein: the timer includes a manual control, in theform of a mechanical knob; and the knob protrudes through a central holein the cover.
 15. As in claim 1, wherein the number N of tabs is four ormore.
 16. As in claim 15, wherein the number C of compartments is sevenor more.